Reference no: EM133336124

Respond separately to the following 5 discussion posts: agree or disagree and why?

What do you think works well about our healthcare system?

1. One thing that works well with the US health system is accessibility. In the US, we are provided with many options to seek the care we need. Such options included hospitals, urgicare, doctors' offices, and clinics. We are given the choice to choose where we want to be treated. Some patients may choose to drive an hour for medical treatment while others may drive 5 minutes to the nearest urgicare, but this is a choice made by the patient according to their preferences. Not only is healthcare easily accessed in the US, but we also lead the world in the best medical technology and innovations. When it comes to preventive care, flu vaccines, and breast cancer screenings the US excels compared to other countries.

2. I think currently what has been working for our healthcare system is the integration of the Affordable Care Act. There has been millions of Americans without healthcare insurance and access to healthcare due to the rising high costs and the Affordable Care Act has made it affordable thus also expanding access to Medicaid programs. Providers also play a huge role in our healthcare system, and I think performance-driven systems are working well. Providers cooperating with making their performance outcomes made available to the public allows consumers to freely choose their care based on high quality care/performance reflected of the provider.

3. In my opinion, something that works well about our health system is the access to what you need and the choices that you, as a patient, have. Access is available for what you need. Whether this is during a hospital stay or an emergency in the middle of the night. The US health system operates 24/7 and provides access to care. Another positive aspect of the US health system is that the patient has power and options. Patients have the freedom to choose their provider and get a second opinion. This is not the case in other countries. In the US we have the choice of the care we receive. Payment for these choices is a different story, but the access and choices are present.

4. Over the last 4 years, I have noticed that positive changes have been put in place in order for insurance companies to approve procedures. In my opinion, this works well for healthcare due to the fact that insurance companies are not dishing out millions of dollars for unneeded medical procedures and patients are not being put through dangerous procedures that are not necessary. When a patient comes in for a diagnostic heart Cath (view the coronary arteries with contrast), in order for insurance to cover the angioplasty (open a vessel with a balloon or stent) or bypass surgery, the physician and their team need to be able to justify the vessel needs intervention. There are many ways this can be done. There is an FFR wire that measures the pressure in the vessel distal to the blockage which can determine blood flow past the lesion. There is also an IVUS catheter (Intra-venous ultrasound) that has ultrasound ability on the tip for us to visualize the vessel diameter and to see exactly where the lesion is. These are just 2 of the many ways to be able to justify the intervention is necessary.

5. Prevention is crucial in today's healthcare. Even though we are actively improving, preventative medicine was not common practice in the United States. Early detection of various diseases and risk factors can help save millions or even billions of healthcare dollars. Some improvements made in the past decade have been smoking cessation and weight loss programs offered by employers to help employees save money on their insurance premiums. Insurance companies now cover CT scans for a lung screening program that can help detect lung cancer early enough which cuts the costs of treatments and disabilities. Our clinic has also recently started accepting a self-pay calcium scoring scan that patients can have without a physician's order. If someone has one or two risk factors such as a family history of heart disease, smoking, or high cholesterol, they can use this great low-dose scan as a preventative measure. For $49 we can see if there is calcium buildup in their coronary arteries and are at risk of a heart attack. "Now with the ACA aligning reimbursement with prevention and wellness efforts, more institutions likely will find it beneficial to initiate and maintain prevention initiatives and allocate more resources to the potentially more productive care of discharged patients and ambulatory clinic populations" (Young et al., 2018). Early intervention will help save lives and healthcare dollars. These programs are truly amazing.